GOP rebels mutiny against House leaders as Trump budget bill talks hit impasse
The hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus has released its own proposal to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process. The plan would pair a debt ceiling increase and increased border security funding with deep spending cuts through welfare work requirements and rollbacks on progressive Biden administration initiatives. It’s a sign that House GOP leaders have still not found consensus within the conference on a path forward, despite ambitious plans to get a bill through the chamber at the end of the month. House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their congressional majorities to pass a massive conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN By reducing the Senate’s threshold for passage from one-third to a simple majority, where the House already operates, Republicans will be able to enact Trump’s plans while entirely skirting Democratic opposition, provided the items included relate to budgetary and other fiscal matters. GOP lawmakers want to include a wide swath of Trump priorities from more funding for border security to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages. But fiscal hawks have also demanded the package be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing. Congressional leaders can afford little dissent with their razor-thin majorities and guaranteed lack of Democratic support. The Freedom Caucus’s plan would follow through on conservatives’ pleas for deep spending cuts, pairing $200 billion in annual new spending for the border and national defense with $486 billion in spending cuts for the same 10-year period. It would also include a $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, something Trump demanded be part of Republicans’ fiscal negotiations. Spending cuts would be found in codifying rollbacks to the Biden administration’s electric vehicle mandates and imposing Clinton administration-era work requirements for certain federal benefits, among other measures. The legislation leaves out one critical component of Trump’s reconciliation goals – the extension of his 2017-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. House GOP leaders and Republicans on the Ways & Means Committee had pushed for them to be included alongside border security, debt ceiling, defense and energy measures in one massive reconciliation bill. They argued that leaving them for a second bill, which the House Freedom Caucus plan would do, will allow Trump’s tax cuts to expire at the end of this year before Congress has time to act. The two-track approach is also favored by Senate Republicans, who are moving forward with their own plan this week. Conservatives on the House Budget Committee pushed back against GOP leaders’ initial proposals for baseline spending cuts to offset new spending in the reconciliation plan, forcing the House to punt on plans to advance a resolution through the House Budget Committee last week. Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., later announced plans to advance his own proposal through his committee by Thursday. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS “”The biggest loser this weekend wasn’t at the Super Bowl, but rather the American people,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “The clock is ticking, and we are no closer to a budget deal, which is why the House Freedom Caucus released our Emergency Border Control Resolution Budget to secure our border and address Trump’s America First Agenda.” House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., said in a statement, “Given the current delay in the House on moving a comprehensive reconciliation bill, moving a smaller targeted bill now makes the most sense to deliver a win for the President and the American people.” Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, said, “The American people voted for Donald Trump to see action – not for Congress to sit on its hands while our short window to pass his America-First agenda closes.” Supporters of the two-bill approach have said it would secure early wins on issues Republicans agree most on while leaving more complex matters like tax cuts for the latter half of the year.
Trump administration appeals federal judge’s order to unfreeze federal funds
The Trump administration is appealing a federal judge’s order to unfreeze federal funding in the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The motion comes hours after a federal judge from Rhode Island ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to unfreeze federal funds once again, claiming the administration did not adhere to his previous order to do so. U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans. McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. But the states said Friday that the administration isn’t following through and funds are still tied up. “Each executive order will hold up in court because every action of the Trump-Vance administration is completely lawful,” Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement to Fox News. “Any legal challenge against it is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the will of the American people. The Office of Management and Budget released a memo Jan. 27 announcing plans to issue a temporary pause on federal grants and loans. While the White House later rescinded the memo on Jan. 29, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.” Specifically, McConnell’s motion calls for the Trump administration to restore withheld funds appropriated in the Infrastructure Improvement and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that passed during the Biden administration in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The motion also calls on the Trump administration to restore funding for institutes like the National Institutes of Health. ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS’: THE IMPOUNDMENT ACT TAKES CENTER STAGE AFTER RUSSEL VOUGHT’S CONFIRMATION The motion filed Monday asserts that states have provided evidence that there are still instances where the federal government has “improperly” frozen funds and failed to distribute appropriated federal funds. While the motion says the Trump administration claims these actions were done to “root out” fraud, McConnell said that the “freezes in effect now were a result of the broad categorical order, not a specific finding of possible fraud.” “The broad categorical and sweeping freeze of federal funds is, as the Court found, likely unconstitutional and has caused and continues to cause irreparable harm to a vast portion of this country,” the judge wrote on Monday. LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE McConnell said in his original order that evidence suggested the White House’s rescission of the OMB memo may have been done in “name-only” in order to “defeat the jurisdiction of the court.” As a result, McConnell said Monday that the Trump administration must “immediately restore frozen funding” until the court hears and decides the preliminary injunction request. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha praised McConnell’s ruling and said the order “confirmed what we have been saying from the beginning.” “It is now time for the Administration to come into full compliance,” Neronha said in a statement Monday. “This is a country of laws. We expect the Administration to follow the law. Our Office and attorneys general across the country stand ready to keep careful watch on the actions of this Administration that follow, and we will not hesitate to go back to Court if they don’t comply.” Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics News Letter: Ex-college football coach tapped by governor
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… –Tulsi Gabbard faces next test in confirmation battle with key Senate hurdle -Trump says he ordered firing of military academies’ Board of Visitors -ICE arrests homeless illegal immigrant who asked to be detained or else he would ‘go out and commit crimes’ Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he is nominating former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor. “Jim Tressel is Ohio values,” DeWine said at a news conference announcing the nomination of Tressel to replace former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who DeWine appointed to the U.S. Senate last month. “He’s a hard worker and shares that vision (I have) for the future of Ohio. He has the ability to pull people together. He has the ability to lead. He will enable me to be assured that if something happens to me, he can walk in and be governor that day and that would be seamless.”…Read more TRADE WARS: Here’s how Trump’s tariffs on China could impact drug pricing and other healthcare costs…Read more STUDY FUNDS: Trump sparks backlash after cutting billions in overhead costs from NIH research grants…Read more OVERRULED: Trump DOJ calls judge’s DOGE order ‘anti-constitutional’…Read more ‘SERIOUS S—‘: Iran’s campaign trail threats against Trump more serious than publicly reported, book claims…Read more ‘DANGEROUS DEVELOPMENT’: Egypt planning ’emergency’ Arab summit on Palestinian territory as Trump insists US ‘own’ Gaza…Read more ‘TRUMP WAS RIGHT’: 5-figure ad buy urges states to crack down as China floods market with illicit vapes…Read more RADIOACTIVE RECALL: AZ Senate leader urges Burgum to reverse Biden-Obama ‘land grabs’ on uranium sites…Read more SO MUCH WINNING: The confirmation juggernaut: How Trump is getting everything he wants in building his Cabinet…Read more DRAGGING DOGE DOWN: Schumer reveals Dem counter-offensive against Trump’s DOGE audit…Read more WOLFPACK: More than 100 lawmakers join Congressional DOGE Caucus…Read more SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Dems flirt with government shutdown threat despite past furor over spending cliff…Read more TEAM EFFORT: Senate GOP campaign committee looks to streamline operations to hold majority in 2026…Read more CRACKING DOWN: House, Senate lawmakers move to slap limits on NGOs aiding illegal immigrants, amid Trump funding crackdown…Read more X FACTOR: Elon Musk embraces X platform as key tool in DOGE transparency amid onslaught of attacks from Dems…Read more UPSTATE SHOWDOWN: NY GOP fumes Dems ‘could give a s—t’ about democracy as Stefanik seat targeted in new bill…Read more ‘STRENGTH IS OUR UNITY’: Hegseth bans transgender people from joining military, pauses gender care to follow Trump guidance…Read more ‘WASTEFUL SPENDING’: Department of Veterans Affairs cancels $178K in subscriptions to Politico Pro…Read more CUTTING MORE WASTE: Interview with nonprofit calling out National Human Trafficking Hotline for wasting government funds on ineffective system…Read more ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS’: The Impoundment Control Act takes center stage in Washington…Read more NEW BIG APPLE BALLOTS?: 800,000 non-citizens could soon be voting in New York City’s elections…Read more REVAMPING FEMA: ‘Get rid of FEMA the way it exists today,’ says Sec. Noem…Read more ‘KEEPING COMMUNITIES SAFE’: Blue-state lawmakers consider bill to roll back sanctuary policies…Read more SCHOOLED: Russ Vought offers one-word response after his alma mater deletes message congratulating him on confirmation…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
DOGE focuses on millions in migrant hotels billed to US taxpayers as DHS Sec. Noem targets FEMA
The government’s leading disaster relief agency reportedly spent millions on hotels for illegal immigrants just last week, according to Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s efforts to cut government spending. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by the tech billionaire, has been conducting a sweep of federal funding and identifying areas in which “waste” within the government can be slashed. Musk found his most recent target in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the government’s disaster relief branch that recently sparked concern over a reported lack of funds during Hurricane Helene. “The @DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants,” Musk claimed in a post on X on Monday morning. KRISTI NOEM HEADS TO ASHEVILLE AMID HEAVY CRITICISM OF FEMA RESPONSE UNDER BIDEN During former President Biden’s term, FEMA faced backlash after it was reported that while they lacked the necessary funds needed to help Hurricane Helene victims, they were dishing out money that ended up being used to aid illegal immigrants. Speaker Mike Johnson clarified that emergency relief funding is separate from FEMA funds allocated to immigration, but said that the agency should not have any part in funding the border crisis. FEMA partners with Customs and Border Control (CBP) and administers money to the Shelter and Services Program (SSP), a government-funded program that provides assistance and housing for illegal immigrants released into the U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP PREDICTS ELON MUSK WILL FIND ‘HUNDRED OF BILLIONS’ IN WASTE IN NEXT DOGE DIRECTIVES In his message Monday, Musk charged that “sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” which put FEMA under review to improve the agency’s “efficacy, priorities and competence.” “That money is meant for American disaster relief,” Musk wrote. A New York City Hall spokesperson confirmed to Fox that the city had received funds “through the past week” that were allocated by the Biden administration for the purpose of housing and supporting illegal immigrants. Of the $59.3 million, $19 million was for direct hotel costs, while the balance funded other services such as food and security. According to NY City Hall, the funds were not part of a disaster relief grant. The Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital that those who made the payment will be “held accountable.” “As Secretary Noem said yesterday, we must get rid of FEMA the way it exists today. This is yet another egregious example,” DHS said in a statement. “Individuals who circumvented leadership and unilaterally made this payment will be fired and held accountable.” The report comes just one day after Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, suggested getting rid of FEMA “the way it exists today.” After Hurricane Helene made its deadly sweep across the south in the fall, Republican lawmakers warned that “FEMA’s continued entanglement in DHS’ efforts to respond to the border crisis could impact its readiness and emergency response mission.” President Donald Trump has also called for FEMA to be reformed, suggesting during his first week in office that states be in control of their own disaster funding. “FEMA has turned out to be a disaster,” Trump said while delivering remarks on the Hurricane Helene damage in January. “I think we’re going to recommend that FEMA go away, and we pay directly — we pay a percentage to the state.” Fox News Digital reached out to FEMA for comment. Fox News’ Grace Taggart, Adam Shaw and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
USAID reportedly bankrolled al Qaeda terrorist’s college tuition, unearthed records show
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) reportedly provided “full funding” for al Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado, unearthed documents apparently show. Al-Awlaki was an American-born jihadist who was killed in a drone strike in Yemen in 2011, during the Obama administration. He was a central figure of al Qaeda, including having direct contact with Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan before he opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009, killing 13 people, U.S. officials reported at the time. Amid the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) investigations of federal government agencies in search of overspending, corruption and fraud, political eyes have been locked on USAID funding. USAID is an independent government agency charged with managing foreign aid programs that has been exposed by Republican lawmakers, DOGE and think tanks for bankrolling a series of questionable programs across the years, including helping launch an Iraqi version of “Sesame Street” and promoting transgender activism in nations such as Guatemala. I AM A USAID WHISTLEBLOWER. I’VE GOT TO ADMIT, MUSK IS MOSTLY RIGHT ABOUT AGENCY’S WASTE Social media accounts erupted this week with a copy of a document reportedly showing USAID also funded al-Awlaki’s tuition to Colorado State University. The document, which investigative reporters unearthed and posted to X over the weekend, shows that a USAID form dated June 1990 outlined al-Awlaki was reportedly granted funding to attend the college by fraudulently claiming he was a Yemeni national and qualified for an exchange visa. HOW USAID WENT WOKE AND DESTROYED ITSELF Al-Awlaki was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1971 to parents from Yemen. He was raised both in the U.S. and Yemen, U.S. media reported in 2011 following his death. The unearthed document previously was reported by George Washington University’s research and archival institution, the National Security Archive, Fox Digital found. “This form, dated 1990, confirms that Anwar al-Awlaki was qualified for an exchange visa and that USAID was providing ‘full funding’ for his studies at Colorado State University,” the National Security Archive reported in 2015 accompanied by a copy of the document. “The document lists Anwar’s birthplace incorrectly as Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, which he later said was a deliberate falsehood offered at the urging of American officials who knew his father so that he could qualify for a scholarship reserved for foreign citizens,” JUDGE TEMPORARILY BLOCKS 2,200 USAID WORKERS FROM BEING PLACED ON LEAVE BY MIDNIGHT The document reports al-Awlaki fraudulently reported he was born in the Yemen capital Sana’a and was studying civil engineering at the Colorado university. When asked to list an address, the document reports that al-Awlaki was in the care of “USAID/Sana’a.” Fox News Digital reached out to Colorado State University’s media team for comment on the document and al-Awlaki’s attendance but did not immediately receive a reply. AL-AWLAKI FACED LOSS OF US PASSPORT BEFORE DRONE STRIKE KILLED HIM, DOCUMENTS SHOW He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Colorado State University in 1994, according to previous media reports on his 2011 death. He worked as a Muslim cleric in cities such as Denver, San Diego and Falls Church, Virginia, before moving to Yemen in 2004. Al-Awlaki was preaching at a San Diego mosque in 2000 when he reportedly first met Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, two of the 9/11 hijackers. He was arrested in 2006 in Yemen on suspicion of holding terrorist ties, with U.S. intelligence viewing him as a terrorist sympathizer until about 2009, NBC News previously reported. He was linked to the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas that year, as well as the attempted bombing of a flight to Detroit on Christmas Day. YOUTUBE FINALLY REMOVES AND BANS ALL ANWAR AL-AWLAKI VIDEOS The Obama administration authorized operations to capture or kill al-Awlaki in 2010, with a drone strike on Sept. 30, 2011, killing him in Yemen. “The death of Awlaki marks another significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates,” President Barack Obama said of the death in 2011. “Furthermore, the success is a tribute to our intelligence community and to the efforts of Yemen and its security forces, who have worked closely with the United States over the course of several years.” The unearthed document reportedly connecting al-Awlaki to USAID funding comes amid the Trump administration’s apparent dismantling of the agency. Signage for the agency was removed from its headquarters in early February, while the USAID website was shut down and previously only showed a message stating “direct-hire personnel” would be placed on leave Feb. 7, except those on “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.” A federal judge on Friday ordered a temporary block to the Trump administration’s plan to put roughly 2,200 employees of the agency on leave. The order remains in effect until at least Feb. 14. Democrats and government employees have railed against DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk, including USAID employees calling DOGE’s investigation a “mafia-like takeover” of the agency and reporting they are “psychologically frightened” he would share their private data publicly. Trump said during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, which aired Sunday, that DOGE and his administration remain on a mission to cut government waste. “We have to solve the efficiency problem,” Trump said. “We have to solve the fraud, waste, abuse, all the things that have gone into the government. You take a look at the USAID, the kind of fraud in there.”
Vance triggers Dems by defending Trump’s executive authority
Judges across the country have taken action to block President Donald Trump’s agenda since he took office in January. Vice President JD Vance triggered a social media frenzy on Sunday by affirming his support for Trump’s executive authority. “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal,” Vance posted on X. “If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Vance’s comments followed a ruling that blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing personal data. Judges in New Hampshire, Seattle and Maryland have blocked Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. New York Attorney General Leitita James advised hospitals to ignore Trump’s executive order ending sex change procedures for minors. Democrats were quick to lash out at Vance on social media on Sunday, equating his comments to “tyranny” and “lawlessness.” Illinois Gov. JV Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender, said Vance’s comments mean “the Trump administration intends to break the law.” TRUMP DOJ CALLS JUDGE’S DOGE ORDER ‘ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL’ “JD Vance is saying the quiet part out loud: the Trump administration intends to break the law. America is a nation of laws. The courts make sure we follow the laws. The VP doesn’t control the courts, and the President cannot ignore the Constitution. No one is above the law,” Pritzker said. TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB Pete Buttigieg, former Transportation secretary and a 2020 presidential candidate, said the vice president does not decide what is legal. “In America, decisions about what is legal and illegal are made by courts of law. Not by the Vice President,” Buttigieg said. Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman who led the Jan. 6 Select Committee and campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris, accused Vance of tyranny. David Hogg, the first Gen Z vice chair of the Democratic Party, said Vance’s comments are a power grab by the executive branch. “He’s saying this to normalize a power grab by the executive to consolidate the power of the president and make him a king,” Hogg said. “If liberals ever said this, conservatives would (rightfully) lose their godd— minds.” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy called Vance’s comments the “meat” of the current “constitutional crisis.” “For those of us who believe we are in the middle of a constitutional crisis, this is the meat of it,” Murphy said on X. “Trump and Vance are laying the groundwork to ignore the courts – democracy’s last line of defense against unchecked executive power.” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the first-term senator whom Trump nicknamed “Schifty Schiff” on the campaign trail, said Vance’s comment “puts us on a dangerous path to lawlessness.” “JD, we both went to law school. But we don’t have to be lawyers to know that ignoring court decisions we don’t like puts us on a dangerous path to lawlessness. We just have to swear an oath to the constitution. And mean it,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-CA, responded. Some conservatives fired back at the onslaught of comments. Columnist Kurt Schlichter jumped into the conversation, implying Schiff is a bad lawyer. Jed Rubenfeld, a Yale Law School professor, lawyer and constitutional scholar, said he agreed with Vance that judges cannot “constitutionally interfere.” “JD is correct about this, and his examples are exactly right,” Rubenfeld said. “Where the Executive has sole and plenary power under the Constitution – as in commanding military operations or exercising prosecutorial discretion – judges cannot constitutionally interfere.” More X users, who joined the debate, said Vance and his supporters’ comments are ironic. AJ Delgado, a self-described “MAGA original but now proudly anti-Trump,” said those attacking Vance lacked principle. “Weren’t you all cheering when a federal judge halted Biden’s student loan forgiveness? You have ZERO principles,” she wrote on X. When the Supreme Court ruled against President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, he did not waver in his commitment to relieving student debt, vowing “to keep going” despite the court’s order. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., during a February 2024 episode of “Pod Save America,” gave credit to Biden for finding alternative ways to alleviate student loan debt. “Whatever tools he’s got, he’s sharpening and building some new tools through his Department of Education. We are now at about just a little shy of 4 million people who have had their student loan debt canceled. Joe Biden is just staying after it,” Warren said.
‘DOGE boys’: Dems fume over spending cut spree at rally outside Trump’s next potential target
Democratic lawmakers are fuming over the “DOGE boys” and their recent crackdown on federal spending, holding a rally outside the newly formed cost-cutting department’s potential next target: the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has been working with federal agencies to identify and cut wasteful spending. Most recently, the group began probing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for potential fraud — a move that wasn’t welcomed by Democratic lawmakers who warned that the SSA could be the next agency on the target list. On Monday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Ma., Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Ma., and Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Ma., gathered for a rally outside the SSA headquarters in Baltimore to criticize DOGE’s efforts. “Every time you hear DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, you just remember it is the department of government evil,” said Mfume, a Maryland-based Democrat. DOGE CANCELS FUNDING FOR FAUCI MUSEUM EXHIBIT Fox News Digital previously reported that according to Just Facts, a nonprofit research institute, SSA disbursed roughly $2 billion in fraudulent or improper payments in 2022, which it calculated was enough “to pay 89,947 retired workers the average annual old-age benefit of $21,924 for 2023.” Democrats, however, have claimed that Americans’ Social Security benefits could be targeted. ELON MUSK EMBRACES X PLATFORM AS KEY TOOL IN DOGE TRANSPARENCY AMID ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS FROM DEMS “We have one simple message, which is: Elon Musk, keep your hands off our Social Security,” Van Hollen told the crowd. “Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew,” the senator said. “This is a recipe for corruption by the DOGE boys.” Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Ma., speaking during the rally, claimed that “the intention of this administration is to make us feel demoralized, to make many of us feel frightened, to incite fear, to silence people.” Many of DOGE’s targets have ranged from canceling a number of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies to consolidating duplicative agencies and programs. DOGE, as of the end of January, said that it was saving the federal government $1 billion a day, mostly by “stopping the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, deletion of DEI and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations, all consistent with the President’s Executive Orders.” The efforts have been widely rejected by Democratic lawmakers, who have been gathering outside government agency headquarters in protest of the DOGE agenda. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Eric Revell contributed to this report.
NY GOP fumes Dems ‘could give a s—’ about democracy as Stefanik seat targeted in new bill
A controversial New York state election reform bill is coming up for a vote Monday. Critics call it a naked attempt to keep U.N. ambassador-nominee Elise Stefanik’s North Country congressional district without a representative until November, while Democratic sponsors say it will save local and taxpayer resources. The bill, which would allow Gov. Kathy Hochul to postpone elections or combine them with upcoming general elections, was marketed by Democrats as a cost-saving measure that helps ensure more voters will cast ballots in specials. However, New York Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said that for all Democrats’ claims about President Donald Trump being a threat to democracy, the truth is belied in their own legislation. “It’s all about the outcome, not process, democracy, voter participation – they could give a s—. They could give a s—,” said Ortt, R-Niagara Falls. TOUGH DECISIONS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER BONDI’S FUND-WITHHOLDING ORDER “I can’t shame them; they have none… 800,000 folks [in Stefanik’s soon-to-be-former district] will not have a representative in Congress ‘til November. That’s a disgrace for a party that says it cares about democracy,” he said, predicting Hochul will use the law to its maximum extent when enacted. Ortt said the bill has two different provisions – one for federal elections and one for state legislative elections and ruminated how they could benefit Democrats. He pointed out that state Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, is likely to seek an open seat on New York City Council in the politically-moderate, majority-Jewish Borough Park area. Felder caucused with Senate Republicans from 2013-2018, which gave the GOP a slim, technical majority in Albany for part of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term. Ortt said Democrats stand to potentially lose Felder’s Senate seat, which explains the reported two-tiered changes in the bill. Meanwhile, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said 44% of New York state voted for Trump and the legislation shows his opposition is still smarting about it. GOP RIPS HOCHUL’S INFLATION REFUNDS “No, they don’t accept that result,” said Barclay, R-Oswego. “So they’re going to do everything they can, including depriving 800,000 people of a say in the budget [or] the SALT (tax deduction for high-taxed states) bill.” Barclay noted that if Stefanik’s seat remains vacant when the Farm Bill is voted on later this year, a significant portion of New York’s agricultural lands will lack representation. But Democrats remained united, with Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins saying in a statement that New Yorkers currently face “unprecedented challenges, including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living.” “[T]his legislation is a common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout,” said Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers. Currently, Hochul has 90 days to call a special election once Stefanik, or Felder, resigns. The bill’s text suggested the current special elections framework in Albany is an operational and financial drag on counties and taxpayers – additionally citing “voter confusion and fatigue.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Therefore, giving the governor the power to potentially consolidate elections is pertinent. As NY1 reported, the bill also does not mandate Hochul – or any governor – combine special and general or primary elections, but now gives her the power to do so. Some in Stefanik’s district, however, believe Ortt’s claims may have substance. “By holding up a special election, they’re keeping the North Country from having congressional representation at a critical moment,” state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, told Plattsburgh’s NBC affiliate. Stec is one of several Republicans vying for the seat, along with Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, Assemblyman Chris Tague of Schoharie, and author Liz Joy, who previously ran against Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko in the neighboring Capital Region district. A spokesman for Stewart-Cousins told NY1 that state Democrats will not “be lectured to by a party that openly celebrated the release of violent felons that attempted to overthrow a presidential election and have opposed every single voting reform that increases voter participation.”
‘Born leader’: Ohio governor nominates former legendary college football coach as lieutenant governor
Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Monday that he is nominating former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel to serve as the state’s lieutenant governor. “Jim Tressel is Ohio values,” DeWine said at a news conference announcing the nomination of Tressel to replace former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who DeWine appointed to the U.S. Senate last month. “He’s a hard worker and shares that vision (I have) for the future of Ohio. He has the ability to pull people together. He has the ability to lead. He will enable me to be assured that if something happens to me, he can walk in and be governor that day and that would be seamless.” Tressel, who DeWine called a “born leader,” was head coach of Ohio State University’s football team from 2001 to 2010. The Buckeyes won the 2002 national championship during Tressel’s tenure along with six Big Ten championships and a record of 9-1 against rival Michigan. NEXT OHIO SENATOR, A ‘FISCAL CONSERVATIVE,’ AIMS TO ‘GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF PEOPLE’S LIVES’ Tressel, 72, retired a year and a half ago as president of Youngstown State University, a job he had held since 2014. Since then, he has been engaged in workforce and economic development activities. “With his wealth of experience in the education field, Jim understands its importance in building Ohio’s workforce of tomorrow,” Ohio Chamber President & CEO Steve Stivers said in a statement, saying Tressel would prioritize workforce development “for the benefit of the business community and all Ohioans.” SENATORS BACK VIVEK RAMASWAMY FOR OHIO GOVERNOR AHEAD OF EXPECTED GUBERNATORIAL BID Tressel’s nomination must now be approved by the Ohio Senate and Ohio House, which are both led by Republican supermajorities. “I want to study a little bit about what Jon Husted has going on, and so I want to learn the business, if you will,” Tressel, a political newcomer, said at the press conference. “And then it’s up to when you sit down with the team and the staff and everyone else trying to figure out who plays what position best. And I’d be more than happy to to help wherever I can.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich congratulated Tressel in an X post saying, “Jim Tressel always puts one foot in front of the other trying to improve our world. Good luck, @JimTressel5.” DeWine, who must retire in 2026 due to term limits, said the two have not discussed if Tressel plans to run for governor, which would put him in a race against the state’s Republican attorney general, Dave Yost, and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is expected to jump into the race this month. Former Ohio Health Director Dr. Amy Acton is running as a Democrat. Associated Press contributed to this report
Tulsi Gabbard faces next test in confirmation battle with key Senate hurdle
Former Democratic congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will face another test Monday night in the Senate as she hopes to be confirmed to one of the most important national security posts in the U.S. government. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence (DNI) will get a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m., when she will need to get more than 50 votes in order to advance to a final confirmation vote. If the cloture motion passes, there will be 30 hours of debate on the Senate floor. Frequently, the debate between the cloture motion and the final vote is minimized in what’s referred to as a “time agreement” between Republicans and Democrats. But with the controversial nature of Gabbard’s nomination and ongoing frustrations with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its government audit, no such agreements are expected. SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT This will set Gabbard up for a final confirmation vote on Wednesday at the earliest, when the 30 hours of debate expire. The nominee advanced out of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week, snagging the support of crucial GOP Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Todd Young, R-Ind. TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB Her success on the cloture motion and with final confirmation are much more favorable than her initial odds in the Intel committee were. In order to get the support of all the committee’s Republicans, Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Vice President JD Vance worked around the clock. Their conversations with committee members and tireless efforts were credited with getting her past the key hurdle. INSIDE SEN TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION In a final vote, Gabbard can only lose 3 Republican votes, assuming she does not get any Democratic support, as was the case in the committee vote. She already has an advantage over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, as Collins supports her. The senator was one of three votes against Hegseth. LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN Despite the limited votes Gabbard can afford to lose, Republicans appear to be confident about her odds. This was signaled through the White House dispatching Vance to Europe for events and meetings during the time of Gabbard’s cloture and confirmation votes. If Republicans expected to need Vance to break a tie in the upper chamber, they likely would not have slated her vote for this week.